Although Qian Ye was still filled with doubts, such an opportunity could not be missed. He immediately charged forward, his arms swirling with crimson light, and the war hammer roared as it unleashed a storm of attacks, knocking the spider demon commander to the ground.
He stepped onto the chest of the spider demon, drew out Shining Fang, and plunged it deep into the heart. The abundant blood energy surged through Shining Fang into his body, instantly revitalizing him.
After slaying two more spider demons and one werewolf, Qian Ye’s blood energy was nearly full again.
In the final battle, many high-ranking warriors assisted Wei Bairen in defeating Soudo. However, having learned from the previous experience, Qian Ye did not use Shining Fang for the final blow but instead crushed the spine of the werewolf general with his war hammer.
After this battle, the town of Heini was completely razed to the ground. Although Wei Bairen was injured again, he seemed to be in high spirits. He left only a symbolic garrison and a scout squad, and led the main force back to Blackflow City. Qian Ye and Dark Flame Mercenary Corps were also taken away by him.
The first thing Wei Bairen did upon returning to Blackflow City was not to strengthen the city’s defenses or check the progress on other fronts. Instead, he ordered a grand celebratory banquet and invited all the prominent figures within the defense zone.
The heads of Brahms and Soudo Rending Soul were preserved with secret methods and displayed at the banquet. The battle report had already been sent to the Expeditionary Army headquarters, but these two trophies would be sent to the Empire to showcase their achievements.
Qian Ye was naturally one of the guests at the banquet, and his mercenary corps even received several invitations, which was quite an honor. However, he was still not very accustomed to such grand events. After chatting briefly with a few officers from the Expeditionary Army, he took some food and found an inconspicuous corner behind a pillar. The Wei family, true to their status, managed to arrange every detail of the banquet flawlessly despite the short time and the ongoing war.
Song Hu, who had been following Qian Ye, noticed his expression. Once they had finished eating, he said, “Young Master, do you not understand why General Wei is holding such a grand celebration now instead of attending to urgent military affairs?”
Qian Ye looked around and, seeing no one paying attention, replied, “Though we won two battles, the officer casualties were close to one-third, and the soldier casualties were similar. This is just from one direction where the dark races are advancing.” He didn’t say that the situation was far from relaxed and that such a celebration seemed premature.
Song Hu seemed to grasp his unspoken thoughts and smiled. “Young Master, when you reach General Wei’s position, you will see many more aspects. For example, the sudden suppression of the Seventh Division by the Wei family from the Far East, and the killing of a brigadier general, though General Xiao Lingshi has not spoken, the other generals in the Expeditionary Army headquarters surely have their own thoughts. Even if they don’t show it on the surface, they must have their own ideas. They can do plenty in the shadows.”
“Shadows?” Qian Ye caught a hint of something.
Song Hu explained, “For instance, supplies and pay. The Empire’s allocation to the Expeditionary Army is insufficient, and what actually reaches us is even less. Arrears are the norm, from top to bottom. No one will ask if the Seventh Division receives exceptionally little.”
“Isn’t the Wei family always sending military supplies?”
Song Hu chuckled, “The Wei family? They are far in the Far Eastern Province, thousands of miles from the Eternaria Continent. If they send supplies from other continents, the shipping costs would likely be several times the value of the goods. But if they procure them locally on the Eternaria Continent, they cannot bypass the Expeditionary Army headquarters. It’s not just about supplies; military merit is also under their control.”
Qian Ye’s eyes turned cold. “Do they dare to cut military merits?”
“Why wouldn’t they?” Song Hu countered.
Qian Ye was slightly taken aback. His Red Scorpion unit did not have such a custom, but he had heard of unfair distribution of military merits even in the main forces. He hadn’t thought that a formal campaign could have its merits cut.
“Even the Wei family’s military merits are being tampered with?” Qian Ye frowned. After all, Wei Bairen was not an obscure figure in the Wei family.
Song Hu sneered, “What is the Wei family? Though the Marquis controls the military and political power in the Far Eastern Province, his influence in the Imperial Army is limited. The Expeditionary Army might be stronger, but it is internally fragmented. Xiao Lingshi himself is not well-regarded, so the Wei family is not well-known in the Empire.”
At this point, Song Hu proudly added, “If it were the Song family, they wouldn’t dare!”
Qian Ye looked at Song Hu and pondered, “General Wei’s celebratory banquet is to preemptively spread the news, so that some people in the Expeditionary Army headquarters won’t go too far, right?”
“Exactly.”
Qian Ye felt uncomfortable. “To cut the military merits earned by soldiers fighting to the death on the frontlines, who will still fight for the Empire?”
Song Hu remained calm, shrugging. “This is the Empire’s abandoned land, isn’t it? Some people don’t think long-term. Moreover, Wu Zhengnan’s case is a thorn. Some hope the Seventh Division will be annihilated.”
Qian Ye took a deep breath, unsure whether to feel angry or despondent.
At this moment, a Wei family guard approached, saying, “Master Qian, General Wei asks you to join him in his study.”
Qian Ye nodded to Song Hu and followed the guard.
Song Hu watched Qian Ye leave, smiling silently. The young master’s friend was skilled in combat but like a blank slate in other areas, a typical product of elite training. If nothing went wrong, he would become a sharp blade. However, everything that is too rigid is prone to break.
But perhaps there was no need to worry. Although it didn’t match his nature, Qian Ye showed a keen strategic insight. Even if he didn’t plan, he would not easily fall into others’ traps.
In the study, Wei Bairen stood in front of a large map, brows furrowed, face grave. His demeanor was vastly different from the jubilant and talkative figure at the banquet.
“General, you called for me?” Qian Ye knocked on the half-open door and entered.
Wei Bairen handed him a few papers. “Just received the battle report. Take a look.”
Qian Ye read and was shocked, “Xiyi Town lost? Zhonghui Town and Sanbai Town also lost?”
“The garrisons were completely wiped out. Only a few escaped,” Wei Bairen’s voice was heavy.
These three towns were on the border, facing the dark territories. Now, all three were lost, indicating a major dark force in that direction.
“How could so many troops come now?” Qian Ye suddenly remembered, “General, how is your injury?”
Wei Bairen sighed, “Two major battles, I need at least a week to recover. Another battle would be perilous.” This was due to the special family technique, Thousand Mountains, a top-tier defensive skill. Without it, killing an equal-ranked opponent would be costly. Wei Bairen was mainly suffering from accumulated injuries but was not severely wounded, a good outcome.
Qian Ye was alarmed. The battle reports showed the three border towns were defeated almost immediately, without even sending a distress signal. The dark force leader must be a battle general.
If Wei Bairen couldn’t hold, the situation would be dire. Qian Ye, if he attacked, could seriously wound a regular battle general, but killing one was impossible, and he couldn’t escape a counterattack.
Wei Bairen exhaled, “This was unexpected, but not entirely without signs. I prepared this banquet to serve this purpose.”
“To avoid losing military merit?” Qian Ye asked hesitantly.
Wei Bairen shook his head, “Military merit is a minor matter. Unless you are a direct subordinate of the top generals, it will be reduced, just a matter of degree. I held this banquet to let everyone know we achieved two major victories. This merit will protect my actions from criticism.”
Qian Ye was slightly puzzled, waiting for Wei Bairen to continue.
Wei Bairen pointed to the map, “I’ve ordered all forces to retreat to Blackflow City, abandoning all outer towns, including Si Water Base.”
Qian Ye was shocked. Concentrating all forces in one city was a military taboo. Without depth, it would be a vulnerable fortress, especially with Blackflow City’s weak defenses.
Wei Bairen said, “The dark races have mobilized more forces than expected. Though we don’t know their intentions, they aim beyond our barren territory. By concentrating all forces in Blackflow City, any attacker will pay a heavy price. If the cost is high enough, I believe they will bypass us.”
Wei Bairen smiled, “The dark races’ offensive is so fierce, it’s time the Expeditionary Army experiences it. Let’s see how many waves they can withstand and how many battle generals they can kill.”
Qian Ye was speechless. Wei Bairen’s strategy of retreating and opening the way was clearly a move to divert the enemy. Even if the dark forces from the Black Swamp merged, if Wei Bairen hadn’t advanced the front line, the combined forces of Brahms and Soudo would pose a serious threat to Blackflow City.
Wei Bairen patted Qian Ye’s shoulder, “After this war, perhaps Blackflow City will be yours.”
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